March 7, 2002
Joint Finance Budget Action
The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee completed its work on the Budget Adjustment Bill last night and sent it on to the Assembly for further action. The following changes of interest to the university were made yesterday by the Finance Committee:
- Required the Board of Regents to seek legislative approval before increasing the average undergraduate resident tuition by more than 8 in the next academic year. The Governor's proposal had capped the Regent's authority at 10
- Provided $300,000 GPR (state funds) in 2002-03 to the Waisman Center for a child parent center demonstration project.
- Provided $200,000 GPR in 2002-03 to increase funding for the Lawton undergraduate minority retention program and $200,000 GPR to increase funding for the advanced opportunity program (AOP) grants.
- Deleted the Governor's proposal to provide $310,000 GPR and 1 position in 2002-03 to the State Lab of Hygiene for costs related to bioterrorism threats in the state and instead placed $232,000 GPR in reserve and required the Dept. of Health and Family Services to request funding for the State Lab from the federal government. If full funding is not provided by the federal government, the State Lab may request the $232,000 from the Finance committee.
- Required the WI Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to lapse $933,900 to the state's general fund.
- Provided $500,000 GPR to the Dept. of Public Instruction to increase funding for the Minority Precollege Scholarship program.
The Assembly Republicans are scheduled to meet on Friday, Saturday and Monday to discuss their changes to the Finance version of the budget adjustment bill. The full Assembly will likely take up the bill on Wednesday or Thursday of next week before sending it to the State Senate.
For more information on state related issues contact:
Charles Hoslet
Senior Special Assistant to the Chancellor
Director, State Relations
hoslet@mail.bascom.wisc.edu
608-263-5510